Brett Favre wants to make one thing perfectly clear: He's not a wishy-washy, high-maintenance, selfish diva who can't make up his mind.

This, of course, is the way the Packers, the team he carried on his broad shoulders for some 16 years before the Jets New York Jets traded for him last month, spun the tale. And this is why Favre has felt the need to defend himself.

With the regular-season opener looming next Sunday, Favre, in an intimate sit-down with the handful of reporters who cover the Jets regularly, was candid about this and a number of other topics.

The following are some highlights from the interview ...

BULLET: Did he make any sort of agreement with Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum to commit to more than one year in New York?

"I'm in a game-to-game mode,'' Favre said. My last four years has been season-to-season. When I talked to Mike about coming here we never discussed it. He was just trying to get me to come at first.

"And then, once we knew the deal was goingto be done, he would've liked to have a two-yearcommitment and I said, 'Mike, let megive you the best year I can possibly give you, and let's go from there.'

"I said, 'I've been down this road. At the end of this year you guys may say, thanks, it was great having you, it just didn't work out, and we'll move on.' I don't know.

"To sit here and even think about next year with what's in front of us right now, is way premature.''

BULLET: How affected has he been by the PR hit to his image throughout this process?

"I was getting ripped from every angle,'' Favre said. "I'm not going to say I didn't get (ticked). But if you sat every one of those (Green Bay) players and coaches down separately and they knew their job was not in jeopardy and you asked them, 'What kind of guy is Brett,' I know what they'd tell you.

"I'm confident in how I've treated people and how I've respected not only on the game but the guys I've played with. (Those in Packers management) were throwing daggers to make themselves look like they were in the right.

BULLET: How does he feel he treated the Packers?

"I could have told them, 'I'll come back,' even though at the time I didn't want to,'' Favre said. "But then July rolls around we start camp or whatever and I go, 'God, I need to walk away.' To me, that was worse than saying, 'Guys, if you want an answer right now, I'm not 100-percent committed and because of that, I'm retiring.'

"The day I told (Packers head coach Mike) McCarthy I was going to retire, he said, 'Are you sure?' I said, 'No, I'm not sure, but you want an answer so I'm giving you an answer.' I told him, 'I'm not confident in this decision.' I was second-guessing it from Day One.

BULLET: How does he feel about his decision to come back as a Jet?

"Mike has done a great job of acquiring players, some veteran leadership, some proven guys that I think and he thinks and I'm sure Eric (Mangini) thinks will be quick to gain this chemistry we're looking for, Favre said. That was really a big seller for me. As has time passed by, I've still got the fire. I know I made the right decision to come back and play.''

BULLET: On his odd relationship with Packers boss Ted Thompson.

"I always liked Ted and I don't want to say I dislike him now, I'm just disappointed,'' Favre said. "He's a very quiet guy. He's always been that way. First seven years I was in Green Bay, he was there as a scout and when he came back really nothing had changed in his personality.

"Just because he's quiet, doesn't mean he's good, bad or indifferent at what he does, but I look at (Jets GM) Mike Tannenbaum - and I'm not saying Mike's a better GM or whatever _ but you have to be socially (adaptable), in my opinion.

"Ted had a plan, Packers had a plan, a lot has changed over the years and I understand that. I made my point on why I retired, no one held a gun to my head. Because at first I was portrayed as, 'No one told him to retire; it's his fault.' To a certain degree, yes. Because once again, no one said, 'Either retire or come back, one of the two.'

"But you just have to trust me on what I was hearing and what I was not hearing. I never heard from Ted and I was also portrayed as 'Ted's got to get on his knees and say, Brett we'd love to have you back.' No.

"The only time I talked to Ted Thompson throughout this process was the day after the draft, he flew to Mississippi. He called several days before and asked if he could come down, wanted to talk to me. And I said sure. My wife said, 'What do you think he's coming for?'

"I said, 'Probably asking me to come back. What else is there?' She said, 'What are you going to say?' I said, 'I don't know.'

"So he came down and we had lunch at our house. He stayed an hour 15 minutes exactly. And, as usual, he didn't say (much). I had to initiate every conversation.

" 'How'd the draft go, Ted?'

" 'Ok, it went fine.'

" 'You like the players?'

" 'Yeah, they're OK.'

"Then he kind of gets quiet and says, 'We want to do something special for you, and what do you think if we ...' and these were his words exactly, 'dismantle your locker and send it to you.'

"I was like, 'What the hell are you talking about?'

"I was like, 'Um, ok Ted, great.'

"He said, 'It's going to be your locker, we'll send it to you. Now, it's going to be in a box.'

"I'm thinking, 'Way to get my ass out the door.'

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard of. What the hell am I going to do with a locker? So I just said, 'Oh, OK, Ted, that's great.'

"So we talked like 10 minutes and he's like, 'Well, I gotta get going.'

"I walked him back to his truck and said, 'You know Ted, I just don't want to surprise you if I decide I made the wrong decision and want to come back. I just want to give you a heads up now. I'm not insinuating anything, but I'm having second thoughts each and every day. So, have a plan.'

"Those were my exact words and he said, 'Oh, don't worry about that.We'll take care of that.' And that was it.''

"So from that point on, I never talked to him again until like a week and a half before we had a conference call, I maybe talked to (PAckers coach Mike) McCarthy like twice before. I talked to him June 20 and I told him, 'Hey, I think I'm coming back.'

"When he picked up the phone, he actually dropped it, I heard it rattle, and he said, 'Oh God, Brett, you're putting us in a tight spot.' I said, 'Just let me go.'

"He said, 'Playing here's not an option.' Those were his exact words.

"I was like, fine, and I wasn't mad, I really wasn't. I said, 'I totally understand, I didn't ask you guys to wait for me to begin with, but I retired, you guys moved on. Fine.' But I had my option to return and I know if I'm going to return, it better be now as opposed to two years from now. He was like. 'Oh man, Brett.'

"I said, 'Well, look Mike, you have three options. You welcome me back, give me my helmet and say, 'We're glad to have you back,' you attempt to trade me, or you release me.'

"He said, 'Well, we really can't see you playing anywhere else, I mean you're legacy is so importand to us.' I said, 'Don't worry about that. Let me worry about my legacy. I may go somewhere else and stink it up, I have no idea.'

"He told me about Joe Montana in Kansas City and how it didn't work out and I'm like, 'I think he went to the championship game if I remember correctly.'

"He's like, 'Yeah, but his legs had given out and everything.'

"He was trying to talk me out of it, which in his case was the best thing, and the best thing for all of them was I just walked away and stayed away. But it wasn't like all of a sudden I woke up in June and said, 'What the hell am I doing? I'm coming back.'

First came the sweet talking, then Mike Tannenbaum popped the question: Before finalizing The Trade, the Jets' GM asked Brett Favre for a two-year commitment. The legendary quarterback demurred.

"He was just trying to get me to come at first, but once we knew the deal was going to be done, he would've liked a two-year commitment," Favre revealed in his first sit-down interview with print reporters. "I said, 'Mike, let me give you the best year I can possibly give you and let's go from there.'"

Favre's year-to-year position isn't news, but this was the first acknowledgement that the Jets wanted more. At the time of the trade, Tannenbaum declined to discuss the matter.

In a 30-minute interview, Favre also addressed his bitter divorce from the Packers, criticizing them for "throwing daggers to make it look like they were in the right." He said their reasons for giving his old job to Aaron Rodgers are "totally ridiculous," and he mocked the Packers for hiring former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer as a consultant.

Giving a play-by-play account of the Green Bay mess, Favre said he was pressured by the organization into making a decision, claiming he was conflicted on the day he made his tearful retirement announcement in March.

Favre thought the Packers were going to ask him back in early May, when GM Ted Thompson flew to his home in Mississippi, but that turned into a surreal meeting.

At the end of a 75-minute lunch, Thompson told Favre they wanted to do something "special" for him and would dismantle his locker at Lambeau Field and have it sent to him in boxes.

When the season is over, the Jets, too, will be held captive by Favre's whims. Tannenbaum confirmed that he asked Favre for two years, adding that he's not bothered by the non-committal stance.

"We did talk about the future," Tannenbaum told the Daily News, "but we felt like, look, there's a lot going on with our team and his situation, so let's get up here, let's get settled, let's get into the new building, let's get established, let's go one year at a time and move forward in a true partnership."

The relationship nearly began in 1991, when the Jets almost drafted Favre out of Southern Mississippi. Looking back, he's glad it didn't happen.

"Had I been here when I was drafted, I wouldn't be here today," he said, alluding to his days as a party boy. "I totally believe that. But I'm in a much better place and able to handle that."

"I'm here for one reason - play football. Nothing against the city - it's great - but I've had my share of fun."

Favre insisted he won't derive any pleasure in trying to make the Packers look bad, although one league source claimed that Favre wants to stick it to Thompson. "That's his motivation," the source said.

Clearly, Favre still has some bitterness toward the Packers, especially Thompson, whom he described as a painfully shy man, which he believes makes him ill-suited for a GM job.

Favre admitted he was indecisive throughout the spring in his many conversations with the Packers, but he said it was no different than how he felt the previous three offseasons.

Favre knew his return wasn't going to be smooth. He thought to himself, "How do I get myself out of this jam? I'm thinking, 'Boy, this isn't going to look good. Am I willing to deal with this?' At first, I was like, 'It's best I just stay retired.'"

Finally, he decided, "I still have the fire." When he told coach Mike McCarthy his intention to return, he said the response was: "Oh, God, Brett, you're putting us in a tight spot."

Favre still can't grasp why the Packers didn't want him back.

"I think Aaron Rodgers will do a real good job, barring injury," Favre said, "but if you're a betting man and said, 'Who gives us the best chance to win right now?' This isn't bragging, but I think I would.

"Aaron may play great, and they'll look like geniuses, but to not welcome me back I just assumed it was the fear of upsetting Aaron, not only now but in the future. To me, that's ridiculous, totally ridiculous."

I Don't see any different info, it's pretty much the same as he's said all along, locker story and all. He's still pissed about the way it all went down but it's a two way street and seeing that Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy aren't going to spout off about it he's just rehashing the greta interview crap.

I was leaning on Brett's "side" until the last half when he started to contradict his previous comments about those situations.

After reading both these articles. I previously put 60% blame on Packers, 40% blame on Brett.I'm leaning more towards a 75/25 split now.

Yes, some of Brett's words in the later half of the first post are contradicting to his statements previously made, but I tend to believe Brett on a few things.

I think Ted did want to move forward. Not because he dislikes Brett, not because he wanted HIS draft pick to play, but because Brett retired and made a decision to be retired. Ted is a GM, GM's need look for concrete solid decisions. They need something firm to stand on, but at the same time consider all possible outcomes.

I think not accepting Brett back was more because he retired than anything else and the Packers were moving forward and didn't want to take a step backward and somehow they felt they would be taking a step back by accepting Brett.

I do see their point, I just disagree with it. I'd rather Brett as my QB. That's nothing against Aaron Rodgers either, I'm just partial to Brett.

I think this also gives merit to Trippsters source and comments. I'm wondering if Ted was changing his mind and debated taking him back on the roster. Then after a few hours of not getting too far in discussions, changed his mind again.

I just don't know. This is one helluva situation though. I'm glad its done and over. I just don't like not knowing exactly what went down and what got Brett so upset. What has him so upset is bewildering too. He contradicts that over and over again. Atleast, from my view of it all.

I still believe BF wanted to be coddled like he was when Sherman was boss. I also feel Ted Thompson had been down that road one too many times. He retired and the packers took him at his word, even if they thought (or expected) he might change his mind. as far as Trippster's source and thread are concerned, the only thing I would disagree with is Ted Thompson being so adament about him not coming back. I think both Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy were on the same page as far as the waffling was concerned. Mike McCarthy saw the look in Favre's eyes at the end of that championship game, dealt with the private dressing area Favre had, heard the rumbling about all of BF's "disappointment" with TT's handling of the gaurds and the Moss trade and was convinced that that bridge had been burned and there was no going back.

Not quite perfect for this discussion but I am using it as an example of Favre's emotional tendencies, I have a friend who is an assistant to a fairly bigtime photographer who did a shoot at BF's home shortly after the 07 draft. Before they reached the estate ( they had to be picked up at the airport and driven there, his address was not made available, like it would be hard to find the place) they were given instructions on what not to mention, the Moss deal being the primary taboo subject. My buddy could care less about football so I take him at his word. They get to the Favre residence and go to his barn where the shoot is to take place. Brett comes in and asks where they're from, my buddy says chicago and Brett starts making fun of Grossman and the SB loss and then proceeds to bring up everything that the photo crew was told not to talk about including how mad he was about the Pack not getting Moss. He also said Favre was great to everybody, signed whatever they wanted and such. Never saw the house cuz the property was so huge and that every piece of equipment in the barn was kept shiny and clean.

I think Favre's feelings were hurt when he thought that Ted Thompson wasn't listening to him anymore (Not that I think Thompson ever wanted his opinion on players) and was pissed because he wasn't being treated like a legend. I think that both Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy wanted 100% commitment and Favre did not want to give it the same way he did in 07. He wanted to show up for TC and management wanted more. It's not like they were off base in wanting that kind of commitment, what with the 3-7 post-season record since 1998.

(Brett Favre continues to take shots at you publicly. Does that disappoint you?)No. I'll say this and we've said this before; we wish Brett the best and we are trying to get ready for the start of the season.

(Are you aware of what he said?)(Yes).

lol ... when someone craves attention and response, best way to tick them off is to just play the nice guy ...

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